Load brake apparatus.



' PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907;

Hi T. HERE. LDAD BRAKE APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED DEO.1,1904.

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H. T. HERR.

LOAD BRAKE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEO.1,1904.

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UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT T. HERB, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AllBRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

LOAD BRAKE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 1,1904. Serial No. 234,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT T. HERR, a citizen of the United States,residing in Denver, county of Denver, and State of Colorado, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Load Brake Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fluid pressure brakes for railway cars. Itsobject is to provide for the application of the brakes with a forcewhich may be varied in accordance with the loaded, or empty, or lightlyloaded condition of a car; and it consists in new and improved meanswhereby the desired variation of the braking force may be effected.

My improvement is applicable to fluid pressure brake systems generally,whether automatic or direct; and especially provides for the applicationof an increased braking force by fluid under pressure from asupplemental reservoir acting on the piston of a supplemental brakecylinder, when an increased or additional braking force is required.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 isa plan view, showing my improvement applied to an automatic fluidpressure brake system; Fig. 2 a central section through the controllingvalve device of my improvement; Fig. 3 a section on the line aa of Fig.2; Fig. 4 a'central vertical section of the application and releasevalve device for the supplemental brake cylinder; Fig. 5 a sectionthrough the check valve device through which fluid under pressure issupplied from the train pipe to the supplemental reservoir; Fig. 6 aplan view showing a modification of my improvement applied to an automatic fluid pressure brake system; Fig. 7 a section of the applicationand release valve similar to that shown in Fig. 4, but which in themodification shown in Fig. (3 is difierently connected;.and Fig. 8 amodification of the application and release valve device.

As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the train pipe, 1, branch pipe, 2,triple valve device, 3, auxiliary reservoir, 4, and brake cylinder, 5,may be of the ordinary construction and arrangement as employed in theWestinghouse, or other, fluid pressure brake systems. In additionthereto, I employ, in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,a supplemental reservoir, 6, to which fluid under pressure is suppliedthrough the pipe 7 and check valve 8; a controlling valve device, 9, anapplication and release valve device, l0, and a supplemental brakecylinder, 32.

In the controlling valve device, 9, shown in section in Fig. 2, apiston, 11, is fitted in a chamber, 12, and is normally held in theposition shown by a spring, 13, so that its stem, 14, abuts against astop in the cap 15. A slide valve, 16, in the chamber, 17, is fitted toand moved by the stem 14-, to control the ports shown in the bushing,18, in the different positions of the piston 11. Chamber 17 of thecontrolling valve device connected, by means of the pipe 19 and thepassage 20,

with the supplemental reservoir, 6, and the pipe 19 also connects thesupplemental reservoir, 6, with the passage 21 in the casing of theapplication and release valve device 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Themain brake cylinder, 5, is connected by means of the pipe 22 with apassage, 23, in the casing of the controlling valve 1 device; and theport 24, opening therefrom, is shown blanked, or closed, by the slidevalve 16 but when the piston 11 and the valve 16 are moved to the left,the port 24 is connected by means of the slide valve cavity 25, with theport 26, and through the pipe 27 witlithe passage 28 of the applicationand release valve.,1 0 Through a pipe 29 and a passage 30, the chamber31 of the application and release valve 10 is always in opencommunication with the supplemental brake cylinder 32. The piston rod 33of the brake cylinder 5 is ,connected by means of a yoke, or frame, 35,or may be otherwise connected, to the piston rod 34 of the brakecylinder 32; and when fluid under pressure acts in either .or both ofthe brake cylinders, the piston rods or push bars of both cylinders aremoved outward.

When fluid under pressure is admitted to the train pipe for charging thebrake system, the auxiliary reservoir, 4, is charged, as usual, throughthe triple valve device, 3; and, at the same time, the supplementalreservoir, 6, is charged through the pipe 7 and the check valve 8. Thechamber 17 of the controlling valve device, 9, and the passage 21 of theapplication and release valve device, 10, are ,at the same time chargedwith fluid under the same pressure as exists in the supplementalreservoir, since they are always in communication therewith through thepipe 19.

In charging the system with fluid under pressure, the graduallyincreasing pressure of the fluid, in the chamber 17 of the controllingvalve device, acts on the right side of the piston 11, but the piston isnot moved to the left, as such movement is resisted by the spring 13 andby the fluid under pressure which, leaking by the piston 11, accumulatesin the chamber 12 on the left of the piston. The only passage for theescape of air from the chamber 12, on the left of the piston 11, is thepassage 36, and that is closed by the slide valve 16 when the parts arein the positions shown in Fig. 2.

vWhile the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thesystem is charged with fluid under pressure, the chambers 17 and 12 ofthe controlling valve device, on both sides of the piston 11, arecharged with supplemental reservoir pressure; and the piston 37 of theapplication and release valve device, Fig. 4, is exposed on both sidesto atmospheric pressure. The chamber 31 of the application and releasevalve device is in direct communication with the atmosphere through theport 38, which is uncovered by the valve 39; the passage 21, which ischarged with pressure from the supplemental reservoir, is cut off fromcommuni cation with the chamber 31 by means of the spring pressedapplication valve 40; and the space on the left of the piston 37 is opento the atmosphere through the passage 28, pipe 27 and ports 26 and 41 ofthe controlling valve device, which ports are connected by the cavity 25in the slide valve 16.

For braking empty, or lightly loaded, cars, the parts remain in thepositions shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and the brakes may be applied andreleased as usual through the operation of the triple valve device; thepiston of the brake cylinder 5 alone applying force to the brake shoes.The piston rod of the brake cylinder 32 will be moved out and in,coincidently with the piston of the cylinder 5, but will not apply anyadditional pressure to the brake shoes. I I

When it is desired to apply the brakes with increased foice on accountof the loaded condition of the cars, or

v for any other reason, my improvement is rendered operative by themeans of the release valve device 42, having arms 43 which are operatedby means of rods extending outward to the opposite sides of the car. Amovement of either of the arms, 43, will unseat the valve 44 and permitthe fluid under pressure in the chamber 12, on the left of piston 11 toescape through passages 36 and 45, and through port 46 to theatmosphere. The sudden reduction of pressure on the left of piston 11,caused by the opening of valve 44, will permit the pressure in chamber17 to move piston 11 to the left and cause it to be seated on the gasket47 so as to prevent any leakage of fluid under pressure around thepiston from the chamber 17; and the piston 11 will remain in thisposition as long as the brake system is charged with fluid under asufficient pressure for operating the brakes, or until the pressure inthe supplemental reservoir has become sufliciently reduced to permit thespring 13 to move the piston 11 to the right; and this will occur onlyafter the car has been disconnected or set out for unloading, when thepressure will leak off or the fluid under pressure is released from thesystem by bleeding.

When the piston 11 is moved to the left and seated on the gasket 47, theslide valve 16 is moved to the left into a position in which the passage36 in the casing is connected, by means of the passage 48 in the slidevalve 16, with the port 41 opening to the atmosphere; and the cavity 25in the slide valve connects the port 24 and passage 23 with the port 26to which the pipe 27 is connected. The main brake cylinder, 5, will thenbe connected through the pipe 22, passage 23, port 24, slide valvecavity 25, port 26, pipe 27, and the passage 28, in the application andrelease valve device, with the space on the left of the piston 37 of therelease valve device.

When the application and release valve device has been connected, asdescribed, with the main brake cylinder 5, and the brakes are applied bythe operation of the triple valve device, fluid under pressure will flowfrom the brake cylinder 5, by the connections already described, to thespace on the left of the piston 37 of the application and release valvedevice, and the piston 37 and slide valve 39 will be moved to the rightso as to close the port 38 and to unseat the valve 40 by contacttherewith of the piston stem 49. Fluid under pressure from thesupplemental reservoir will then flow through the pipe 19, passage 21,chamber 31, passage 30, and pipe 29, to the supplemental brake cylinder32, and the brakes will be applied with the increased force due to thepressure exerted in the supplemental brake cylinder.

When the pressure in the supplemental brake cylinder and in the chamber31 have nearly equalized with the pressure on the left of the piston 37,the piston 37 will move to the left so as to permit the closing of thevalve 40, and the supplemental reservoir will be cut off from thesupplemental brake cylinder. The movement of the piston 37 to the left,which permits the closing of the application valve, 40, is justsufficient to take up the lost motion between the slide valve 39 and thestem 49 without moving the slide valve; and any increase of pressure inthe main brake cylinder 5 and in the space on the left of the piston 37will move the piston and its stem back again into position to re-openthe application valve, 40, which will permit a further flow of fluidunder pressure into the supplemental brake cylinder, therebyincreasingthe. force of the applica tion. When the pressure in. thesupplemental reservoir has again nearly equalized with that in the mainbrake cylinder and in the space on the left of the piston to permit theclosing of the valve, and the supplemental reservoir will again be cutoff from the supplemental brake cylinder. In this manner the pressure inthe supplemental brake cylinder may be increased with each increase ofpressure in the main brake cylinder.

1n releasing the brakes, the reduction of pressure in the main brakecylinder, 5, and in the space on the left of the piston 37 will permitthe pressure of the fluid in the supplemental reservoir and in thechamber 31 to move the piston 37 and the slide valve 39 to the left soas to uncover the port 38, and permit the release of fluid underpressure from the supplemental brake cylinder. A complete release ofpressure from the main brake cylinder will cause a complete release ofpressure from the supplemental brake cylinder, and a partial release ofpressure from the main brake cylinder will cause only a partial releaseof fluid under pressure from the supplemental brake cylinder; the piston37 and slide valve 39 being moved back to the right so as to close theexhaust port 38 when the pressure in chamber 31 has been reducedsomewhat below that in the main brake cylinder and passage 28.

When the brake system is not charged with fluid under pressure, or thepressure in the supplemental reservoir is not sufficient to hold thepiston 11 seated on the gasket 47, in opposition to the pressure on thespring 13, the piston 11 and the slide valve 16 of the controlling valvedevice 10 will be automatically moved to the right into the positionsshown in Fig. 2, and the system will be in condition for light loadbraking by means of the brake cylinder 5 only. This automatic action ofthe controlling valve device will be effected whenever the system isbled, or the pressure in the system leaks off, as, for example, when thecars are disconnected, or set out for unloading.

It will be seen that the only pressure of fluid required in the chamber17, of the controlling valve device, for the operation of myimprovement, is such a 37 the piston 37 will again move to the left farenough pressure as will be sufficient to move the piston 11 and theslide valve 16 to the extremity of its stroke to the leit,..against theresistance of the spring 13, when the pressure on the left of the piston11 has been suddenly reduced; and as this pressure in the chamber 17 maybe much below that required or employed in the supplemental reservoir,in the course of the operation of my improvement, it will be evidentthat there is no necessity for limiting the connection of the chamber 17to the supplemental reservoir, but that such connection may be made withany other source of fluid under pressure in the system, which remainscharged with a suflicient pressure while the system is in operativecondition. It is immaterial, therefore, whether the chamber 17 beconnected with the supplemental reservoir, with the ordinary auxiliaryreservoir, or with any other source of fluid under pressure which willprovide sufficient pressure to effect the desired operation. In anycase, the connection of chamber 17 with its source of supply does notdraw off any material quantity of fluid from, or effect any materialreduction or variation of pressure, in such source of pressure.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, I have shown an application of myimprovement in which the controlling valve device, 9, shown in Figs. 1and 2, is dispensed with; the application and release valve device 10,shown in Figs. 6 and 7, being of the same construction as that shown inFigs. 1 and 4, but differently connected on account of the omission ofthe controlling valve device.

As shown in Fig. 6, the parts of the ordinary automatic fluid pressurebrake system are the same as those shown in Fig. 1, and the piston rodsof the main and supplemental brake cylinders are shown connected as inFig. 1. In the construction shown in Fig. 6, I employ a plug cock, 50,to be operated by hand, for connecting the supplemental reservoir,through the branch pipes 7 and 7, with the train pipe, or disconnectingit therefrom; and, by means of the same plug cock, the application andrelease valve, 10, is connected, through the branch pipes 27 and 22,with the main brake cylinder 5, this connection being made through theplug cock when the cock is in position to connect the supplementalreservoir with the train pipe. When the plug cock is in position to cutoff the supplemental reservoir from the train pipe, the application andrelease valve 10 is cut off from the main brake cylinder. With the plugcock, 50, in position to cut out the sup plemental reservoir and theapplication and release valve, 10, the brakes may be applied andreleased, as usual, by the application and release of pressure in themain brake cylinder, 5; the piston rod or push bar of the supplementalbrake cylinder moving in either direction without applying anyadditional pressure. When the plug cock, 50, is in position to connectthe supplemental reservoir with the train pipe, and the system ischarged with fluid under pressure, fluid under pressure will flow, fromthe train pipe, through the pipes 7 and 7 and through the check valve 8,into the supplemental reservoir, 6, and, through the pipe 19, into thepassage 21 of the application and release valve. At the same time thepassage 28 of the application and release valve device will be connectedwith the main brake cylinder 5, through the pipes 22 and 27, and throughthe plug cock, 50.

With the parts connected as described, when an application of the brakesis made, fluid under pressure from the main brake cylinder, 5, acting onthe piston 37, will move the piston 37 and the slide valve 39 to theright, closing the exhaust port 38 and opening the application valve 40to admit fluid under pressure from the supplemental reservoir 6, throughpipe 19, passage 21, chamber 31, passage 30, and pipe 29 to thesupplemental brake cylinder 32; and the brakes will be applied with theincreased force due to the pressure in both cylinders. With thismodification of my improvement, the application and release valve deviceoperates, as in my first described construction, to cut off the flow offluid under pressure from the supplemental reservoir to brake cylinder32, when the pressure in the cylinder 32 is nearly equal to that in themain brake cylinder; and it also operates to increase or decrease thepressure in the second brake, in accordance with the pressure in themain brake cylinder, and to release the fluid under pressure from brakecylinder 32 when the pressure is released from the brake cylinder 5. I

By means of the check valve 8, reductions of pressure in the train pipeare prevented from causing any reduction or release of pressure from thesupplemental reservoir through the pipes 7 and 7, shown in Fig. 6, orthrough the pipe 7, shown in Fig. 1. In both constructions, the capacityof the supplemental reservoir may be such that its variations ofpressure need not coincide in degree with those in the ordinaryauxiliary reservoir. It may be of such a capacity that its pressure willnot equalize with that in the supplemental brake cylinder on a fullapplication of the brakes or its capacity may be great enough to supplytwo or more brake cylinders. In this connection it may be observed thatthe regulation of pressure in the supplemental brake cylinder is due tothe relative pressures in the main and supplemental brake cylinders, andis not dependent on or affected by any higher pressure existing in thesupplemental reservoir.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings, I have shown a modification of theapplication and release valve device in which a slide valve, 51,operated by a piston 52, is employed for opening and closing a passage,53, through which fluid under pressure is admitted from the supplementalreservoir to the chamber 31 and to the supplemental brake cylinder. Theobject of this construction is to provide comparatively large admissionpassages, or as large as may be desired, for the admission of fluid fromthe supplemental reservoir to the chamber 31 and to the supplementalbrake cylinder, and at the same time to provide a more sensitive devicethan that shown in Figs. 4 and 7, without increasing the size of thepiston 37. When the system is charged for operation, the chamber 55 ischarged, through pipe 19, with fluid under pressure from thesupplemental reservoir, and the chamber 56, on the right of the piston52, the passage 57, and the chamber 54 are charged with fluid underpressure, which passes by the piston 52. The

passage 53 is normally closed by the valve 5]., which is held inposition by the spring 53, and the valve 40 is held to its seat by thespring 59 and the fluid under pressure in the-chamber 54. When thepiston 37 and its stem 49 are moved to the right, by fluid underpressure from the main brake cylinder, the slide valve 39 closes theport 38 and the stem 49 abuts against the stem 01' the valve 40 andunseats that valve, permitting the release of pressure from the chamber54, passage 57, and the chamber 56 on the right of piston 52. Thepressure in chamber 55 will then move the piston 52 and slide valve 51to the right so as to open the passage 53, and admit fluid underpressure from the supple mental reservior to chamber 31 and to thesupplemental brake cylinder: When the pressure in the second brakecylinder is substantially equal to that in the first brake cylinder thepiston 37 is substantially balanced as to fluid pressures and thespring- 59 acts to move the stem 49 and piston 37 back far enough toseat the valve 40 but not to open the port 38. The instant that thesmall valve 40* closes, the pressure equalizes around the piston 52 andthe spring 58 moves the piston and slide valve 51 to close the port 53,thereby cutting 011 further supply of fluid to the second orsupplemental brake cylinder. When the first brake cylinder is releasedby the action of the triple valve in the usual way the piston 37 withslide valve 39 moves back to release position and opens the exhaust port38 of the second brake cylinder, as before described.

Havingnow described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. in a fluid pressure brake system, thecombination, with a lnain brake cylinder to which fluid under pressureis supplied for applying the brakes, of a supplemental brake cylinder, asupplemental reservoir and means, con trolled by the pi ssure in thelnain brake cylinder, for supplying fluid under pressure from thesupplemental.rescrvoir to the supplemental brake cylinder.

2. In a fluid pressurelnake system, the combination, with a brakecylinder to which fluid under pressure is supplied from one source ofpressure for applying the brakes. of a second brake cylinder, and meanscontrolled by the pressure in the first cylinder for supplying fluidunder pressure from a second s .urce of pressure other than the trainpipe to the second cylinder.

5;. ln a fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a brakecylinder to which fluid under pressure is sup plied from one source ofpressure for applying the brakes, ot' a second brake cylinder, a valvedevice, controlled by the pressure in the first cylinder, for supplyingfluid under pressure from a second source of pressure other than thetrain pipe to the second cylinder, and means for rendering the valvedevice operative by pressure from the first brake cylinder.

4. In a fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a brakecylinder, to which fluid under pressure is supplied from one source ofpressure for applying the brakes, of a second brake cylinder, and means,controlled by the pressure in the first brake cylinder, for supplyingfluid under pressure from a second source of pressure other than thetrain pipe to the second cylinder, and for releas ing fluid underpressure from the second cylinder.

In a fluid pressure brake, the combination with a train pipe, auxiliaryreservoir, a brake cylinder, and valve mechanism operated by variationsin train pipe pressure for supplying fluid under pressure to the brakecylinder, of a second brake cylinder, another receptacle containingfluid under pressure, and means controlled by the pressure in the firstbrake cylinder for supplying fluid 'under pressure from said receptacleto the second brake cylinder.

6. In a fluid pressure brake, the combination .Witlra train pipe, abrake cylinder, and valve mechanism operated by variations in train pipepressure for supplying fluid under pressure to the brake cylinder, of asecond brake cylinder, a reservoir, and means controlled by the pressurein the first brake cylinder for supplying; fluid under pressure from thereservoir to the second brake cylinder.

7. In a fluid pressure brake, the combination with a main brakecylinder, and means for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, of asecond brake cylinder, a reservoir,

and means controlled by the pressure in the main brake cylinder forsupplying fluid under pressure from the reservoir to the second brakecylinder and for releasing the same therefrom.

In a fluid pressure brake, the combination with a main brake cylinder,and means for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, of a second brakecylinder, a reservoir, and a valve device governed by the opposingpressures in the two brake cylinders for controlling the supply of fluidfrom the reservoir to the second brake cylinder and its releasetherefrom.

5). In a fluid pressure brake, the combination with a main brakecylinder and means for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, of asecond brake cylinder, and valve mechanism operated by the opposingpressures of the two brake cylinders for controlling the supply of fluidunder pressure to the second brake cylinder in service application.

10. In a fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a main brakecylinder, a supplemental brake cylinder, and a supplemental reservoir,of means operative by pressure in the main brake cylinder to supplyfluid under pressure from the supplemental reservoir to the supplementalbrake cylinder, and operative by pressure in the supple mental brakecylinder to release fluid under pressure from the supplemental brakecylinder.

11. In a fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a main brakecylinder, and means for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, of asecond brake cylinder and a reservoir for supplying fluid under pressurethereto and means independent of the pressure in the reservoir forsupplying fluid under pressure from the reservoir to the second brakecylinder.

12. In a fluid pressure brake cylinder, the combination, with a mainbrake cylinder, a supplemental brake cylinder, and a supplementalreservoir, of means for supplying fluid under pressure from thesupplemental reservoir to the supplemental brake cylinder, and acontrolling valve device which automatically renders such meansinoperative.

12;. In a fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a mainbrake cylinder, a supplemental brake cylinder, and a supplementalreservoir, of an application and release valve device for supplyingfluid under pressure from the supplemental reservoir to the supplementalbrake cylinder, and a controlling valve device operative by fluid underpressure for controlling the operation of the application and releasevalve device.

14. In a fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a main brakecylinder, a supplemental. brake cylinder, and a supplemental reservoir,of a valve device for supplying fluid under pressure from thesupplemental reser voir to the supplemental brake cylinder, and meansactuated by fluid under pressure for rendering the valve deviceoperative.

l5. Ina fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a main brakecylinder, and a supplemental brake cylinder, of a valve device, a pistonin the valve device, which is exposed on one side to main brake cylinderpressure and on the other side to supplemental brake cylinder pressure.and valve mechanism, operative by the movement of the piston, forsupplying fluid pressure to and releasing it from the supplemental brakecylinder.

16. In a fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a main brakecylinder, a supplemental brake cylinder, and a supplemental reservoir,of an application and release valve device, a piston in the valvedevice, which is exposed on one side to main brake cylinder pressure andon the other side to supplemental brake cylinder pressure, and valvemechanism, operative by the movement of the piston, for supplying fluidunder pressure from the supplemental reservoir to the supplemental brakecylinder and releasing it therefrom.

17. Ina fluid pressure brake system, the combination, with a main brakecylinder, a supplemental brake cylinder,

,and a supplemental reservoir, of a check or non-return valve throughwhich the supplemental reservoir is charged from the train pipe, and avalve device, operative by pres sure in the main brake cylinder, forsupplying fluid under pressure from the supplemental reservoir to thesupplemental brake cylinder.

18. In a fluid pressure brake system, the combination,

with a main brake cylinder, a supplemental brake cylinder, fluid underpressure from one side of the piston to cause a 10 and a supplementalreservoir, of an application and release movement of the valve wherebythe application and release valve device, operative by variations ofpressure in the valve device is connected with the main brake cylinder.

main brake cylinder, to supply fluid under pressure from I In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand.

the supplemental reservoir to the supplemental brake cylin der, and acontrolling valve device comprising a piston and l HERBERT T. HERILvalve for connecting the application and release valve Witnesses devicewith, and disconnecting it from, the main brake A. M. CALHOUN,

cylinder, and a manually operative valve for releasing Dn LANCY BRIGGS.

